On radical approaches to educational studies: Problems and prospects

Radical approaches to educational studies have grown to the point that they warrant substantial evaluation themselves. Ladwig's book offers one of the first critical overviews. He distinguishes several different tendencies within the "radical sociology of school knowledge" and suggests their common theoretical and methodological limitations, most notably a marginalizing reliance on non-scientific rhetoric and a reluctance to use available empirical research methods. Ladwig's suggested correctives have their own serious limitations-including a naive view of the politics of educational research, reliance on simplistic dichotomies, and extreme theoretical relativism. Further substantial critiques of radical approaches to educational studies remain much needed to stimulate their further development.